Restless computer

Q. My computer will boot up to the desktop, from time to time, when it is in Standby Mode. I use Time Warner Roadrunner Cable connection to access the Internet and the computer is directly connected to the cable modem. What is causing this to happen?

A. Computers are designed to use standby or “sleep” modes to conserve power. The idea is that if the computer is in sleep mode you can get back to a fully functional desktop in less time than it would take to shut the computer off and turn it back on.

In sleep mode you can usually wake the computer by moving the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard.

If you are using a wireless keyboard or mouse you might be seeing the effects of some interference that is sending a signal to the computer making it think that the mouse or keyboard is being used. Often times it is a cordless phone or some other piece of electronic gear.

Most modern computers have a setting that tells the computer to wake up if it senses activity on the network interface. Since you computer is connected directly to the modem this could be what is causing your computer to come out of standby.

I would suggest getting a router and connecting your PC and modem to that. This would reduce the amount of what is known as “network chatter” that your network card receives and it would also give you a greater level of security against Internet intruders.

In the short term you can turn off the feature that causes network activity to bring your PC out of standby by accessing the setting in the device manager.

Click Start, click Run, and then type devmgmt.msc. Find your network device, right click it and select properties. Under the advanced tab you can adjust the “Wake on” settings. Just select disabled from the list and click OK.